For: according to Revised Standard Version, verse 2 provides the reason that Paul wants the Corinthians to know about the grace which God has shown to the Macedonian churches. The Greek word translated as for in Revised Standard Version may also be translated as “that.” Verse 2 then states the thing that Paul wants them to know rather than the reason that he wants them to know: “We want you to know, concerning the grace of God which has been shown in the churches of Macedonia, that….”

The severe test of affliction refers to the persecution that the Christians in Macedonia experienced (see 1 Thes 1.6; 2.14; Acts 16.22-24; 17.5). While the passive model of Good News Translation may be helpful in some languages, this expression will be better rendered by an active verb phrase in other languages: “they saw [or, experienced] much suffering” or “they were going through hard times” (Contemporary English Version).

Their abundance of joy: in some languages it will be more natural to use a verb rather than a noun to translate these words: “they have been so exuberantly happy” (Revised English Bible). A more common language model would be something like “their joy did not end” or “they were always happy.”

Their extreme poverty: these words also may be more naturally translated with a verb in some languages: “they are very poor” (Good News Translation). As Good News Translation makes explicit by adding “even though,” there is a contrast implied between the fact that they were very poor and the fact that they gave generously. The structure of Revised Standard Version reflects the Greek, but it will be more natural in some languages to put this expression about poverty together with the one about suffering, since they are both seen as negative. Some translations begin the verse with “although they experienced much suffering, and although they themselves were in great need….”

Overflowed in a wealth of liberality on their part: with the previous phrases this is literally “abundance of joy of them and deep poverty of them overflowed to [yield] riches of liberality.” Logically this is contradictory since it is difficult to see how extreme poverty could result in riches even when accompanied by great joy. But Paul is not trying to be logical here. What he is talking about goes beyond reasoning. As the following verses indicate, Paul is referring to the fact that the Macedonian Christians were “extremely generous in their giving” (Good News Translation) to the collection being raised for the Christians in Jerusalem. The word translated wealth and liberality, combined with the verb overflowed, build up a picture of extravagant charity. It is not essential to find three different words in the receptor language to translate this expression, but the cumulative effect is striking and should be reflected, if it is possible to do so naturally. The verb overflowed makes use of an image that may not be meaningful in some receptor languages. Together with the context it is sometimes rendered “caused them to give abundantly” or “… to be generous beyond measure” (so Translator’s New Testament).

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .